Holly Blog

My Favorite Things...104...A Quilt for a Little Girl...

Happy New Year Everyone!
The other day I was in the car listening to WNYC, They were talking about many of the customs to bring in the New Year, all over the world.  A lot were food-related, like in Spain they eat 12 grapes at midnight... what's that about?  Some were spirit-related, like opening all of the windows in your house to free the souls held captive in your home from the year before. And in New York, they were activity related...like the yahoos that drink themselves silly (while freezing their buns off & while having their pockets picked) in Time Square.

Paton and I, we took the "path of least resistance".  After a picnic in bed complete with some divine desserts from a favorite Japanese bakery, we cranked the mattress pad way, way up...That's when the real fun began as the kitties became heat seeking missiles under the comforter. We all started to watching a video ...and that's pretty much all I remember.

And no hang over this morning...so it's all good (more energy for other things!)

So here's a fun new project to 'whet your whistle' for the new year.  (I never tire of pink, and I'm crazy for my new Floating Petal fabric.)  It was commissioned by Jill Meade of Quilts & More magazine...

This sneak peak* is actually part of a room ensemble designed for a girl's room, compete with shams, dust ruffle and a really cute window treatment, if I do say so myself, it's a cutie pie!...A prize goes to the person who guesses the name on the pillow.

Today I'm making my second attempt this winter to fly away for a little R&R with some family and friends.  I'm crossing my fingers as I look out again at another gray and stormy, winter's day. 

Back in two shakes...H2

*Sara, I was just being "kute", peak as in high(light), get it? But thanks for asking!

My Favorite Things...102...Happy Endings!

We chose Maria Fareri Children's Hospital to receive the "12 Bears for Christmas". To find out more about this amazing facility, click here .

Su Bashir, our LHDG "queen of allocations", came along to help out.  Her beautiful daughter Aliya was born at this hospital complex.

The day we delivered the bears, also happened to be the day that 5 little girls who had received liver transplants at MFCH all returned for a visit and a photo op...Here they all are...their transplant doctor is holding one of the littlest girls...who was born at the hospital and lived there until recently, when she received her transplant.  When I saw those little girl's faces, I really had to hold back the big alligator tears....I imagine that all of the adults in the room had lumps in their throats.

Each of the girls received a bear to take home...and the others were given to the events coordinator, so that they could be given out...Although this hospital looks like it has some pretty wealthy benefactors, they tell me that many of the children are from under privileged backgrounds. So I'm sure that the bears will all find happy and deserving homes.

It's true what they say...'Tis better to give than receive.

Happy "Holly-Daze" to all of you.

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...101...Two for the Load!

Some of you may have noticed that Cheryl Winslow posted a comment that "you should have a 13th bear"...Alas, it's less than a week before Christmas, and "the bears have left the building"...as in, the bears have left Target ("Tar-Jaay").  But wait, what about our wee tiny bears Boo & Honey?  Some of you will remember them from front & center at our FQM booth, if not look here...Well, they are ba-ack, and better than ever thanks to Cheryl...Here's a few pics of their antics...

Cheryl nick named them Bear Claw and Bear Paw...Here they are giving each other a "tiny-bear-hug", on their wee Navajo inspired quilts...

Monkey see, Monkey do...

Wherever you'll be, what ever you do, as long as we'll be there together...

Hands are for Holding...

Alas, here they are all ready to go to good homes...Cheryl made her quilts into little sleeping bags...she said "so that the bears will travel well"...

I told her if she kept going, before long she'd have an entire mobile home made of fabric, and that she'd better stop now (while she still could)!

Here's a closer look at Cheryl's two mini-mini quilts...

Tomorrow, we'll announce the new home(s) for all of our new furry friends...
Stay there "12 Bears" fans, 'Tis the season, and I guarantee you, it truly is better to give than receive...

Back in two shakes...H2

 

My Favorite Things...100...Please, Just one more hug?

It's my 100th blog...(call me "Aunt Blabby").  And we are on our 12th bear, little Bandit...here she is waiting for her hug, in a new bib by "fairy-god-seamstress"  Cheryl Winslow, and another loverly quilt made just for "Pooh" in an encore presentation by the "big nut" at Little Acorns...Brenda Riddle, of course!

Brenda said she had lots of scraps leftover from the adorable quilts that she made for our booth at market...If you haven't seen them yet, (hello, where have you been?)...take a peak here, for goodness sakes!

Love the fabric combination again...thanks Brenda, for making LHDG look so good!

Now for the biggest teaser of all...tomorrow, we have a late entry...a surprise to be sure, but I promise you, it will not disappoint!

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...99...Give me a Kiss!

Madamoiselle "X" (X is for Kisses, get it?) is none other than Pudge...she's all dressed up and ready to celebrate!  Her bib is also made by our fabric mistress Cheryl Winslow, and her charming little pink and yellow quilt is made by one of my favorite people: Pretty Penny (Sturges) of QuiltsIllustrated, our queen of tote bags (and our queen of hearts...awwwe!)

Here's another look at Penny's wee quilt:  so simple, yet so endearing...just my cup of tea!

So that's a one hug bear, and one kiss bear...(in case you're counting!)

Back in two shakes...H2

 

My Favorite Things...98...Give me a Hug!

Bearlina is here with a new bib, made just for this "Bearly-Blogging" event! (O is for Hug's, get it?) It's made by none other than our favorite quilting & fabric diva Cheryl Winslow .  And beneath B is the cutest little star quilt ever, made by none other than our favorite blogging-quilter... You guessed it, Pam Kitty!

I was tickled pink when I first saw Pam's little quilt...It shows how beautifully the "old" La Belle Rose fabrics (in the stores now) blended with the "new" Cherry Baby fabrics  (starting to hit the stores in late January 2008)...I just LOVE how PK put everything together in this quilt...it's as if she read my mind...and aren't star quilts just wonderful?...LOVE IT!

Oh, and I just LOVE PINK with ANYTHING, and I especially love this little darlin'...Am I crazy, or could you see this as a bigger bed sized quilt on a beautiful old white iron bed?  Along with the White on White dot as a dust ruffle & shams, and this little kitten would want to stay in her basket all day long!

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...97...Give me and "E"

Emmie is outfitted by Elizabeth Scott of Late Bloomer fame...Isn't she smashing in this sporty coordinate?

The red dotted fabric is from our best selling Antique Dots pattern, it has a subtle, mottled texture in the background, and it looks good with almost any type of modern or traditional fabric palette. It's very striking in this jaunty little quilt, don't you think?

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My Favorite things...96...Give me an "S"

Sugar is just as pleased as punch with the ric rac & lace trimmed ensemble made for her by Annie Smith of Simple Arts and her quilting & blogging daughter Kirsten .

Here's a better look at this delicate little charmer...

Much more to come...ho, ho, honey!

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My Favorite Things...95...Uma Furbear?

Uma is just as snug as a bug in her quilt and bib made by Vivian Love.

Vivian has made several whole cloth quilts with our Hydrangeas & Raspberries fabric...

Who says that a little Pooh bear from Target  (or as we like to say "Tarr-Jay") can't be a "sophisticate"?

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My Favorite Things...94 Give me an "O"

Oona is especially proud today...That's because her "fairy godmother" is none other than Cindy Taylor Oates, designer of "all things fabric", pattern maker extrordinaire and NEW blogger...Welcome Cindy !

I must say, there are a lot of beautiful little quilts in this little "Bear & Bib" extravaganza, but this one is just darling, don't you think? Here's a closer look...those bears in the heart are out of Cindy's logo...don't you know?

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite...93...Give me an "H"

This is Heidi...She's the H in LakeHouse.  You can't really tell with all of the fur, but she is smiling from ear to ear. Why, you ask?  Because I actually made time to piece a quilt...(a wee & tiny quilt to be sure, but hey, I's a busy gal)  A BIG BEAR HUG and many thanks as always to Cheryl for squeezing this little project into her always tight long arm schedule.

Twinkle Twinkle, little quilt...

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My Favorite Things...92...Give me an "E"

Cherri House made the adorable bib & quilt for Erin Bear.  She also was the quilter who inspired me to start this little "Bear & Bib Blog-a-thon". You see it was  Cherri who made the first little quilt to go along with the bib that she made for her bear.  After market (when the dust finally settled!) the light bulb went on for me too, when I realized that the bears would be awfully cold & lonely in the storage cottage this winter.  So I formulated a plan...we needed to have 12 bears adopted, and just in time for the holidays...

I just love it when there are left overs from a project.  The quilt is the perfect size for a little bear, don't you think?  Here's a front and back view of Cherri's Itty Bitty Bear Quilt...

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My Favorite Things...91..."K" is for Kara Bear

Our next little bear Kara, is outfitted by another one of my favorite quilters...Brenda Riddle of Acorn Quilt & Gift Company.  Isn't it funny how different the faces of these little bears are?  They all have their own unique personality, that's for sure...(And all look like they've enjoyed a few good meals, too), it was a problem getting their bibs to lay straight for their pictures, with their fat little tum-tums.

A closer look at Brenda's handiwork...Like Olga Korbut on the balance beam, she makes it look so easy!

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...90...Give me an "A"

Our next guest bear is Alex, sporting a smashing bib & quilt ensemble designed by the talented Tammy Tadd, and made by her mom, the marvelous Velda Grubbs...(big hug Velda!) Thanks to both of you for your contribution to our colorful cavalcade of quilts!

The pinks in the quilt bring out the rosy undertone in Alex's fur, don't you think...?

I just love Tammy's unusual mix of colors, don't you?
Let's all cast a vote for your favorite ensemble at the end of this event...I'm always curious to hear your thoughts...

Back in two shakes...H2